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Newborns Jaundice And Cerebral Palsy. Part 1 of 3

Newborns Jaundice And Cerebral Palsy – Part 1 of 3

Newborns Jaundice And Cerebral Palsy. Newborns with significant jaundice are not probable to develop a rare and life-threatening type of cerebral palsy if American Academy of Pediatrics’ treatment guidelines are followed, according to a supplementary study. Jaundice is yellowing of the eyes and skin due to high levels of the liver-produced pigment bilirubin. In most cases, jaundice develops among newborns because their liver is too half-grown to break down the pigment quickly enough. Usually, this condition resolves without treatment.

Some babies, however, must receive phototherapy. Exposure to special lights changes bilirubin into a compound that can be excreted from the body, according to the researchers. If phototherapy fails, a conduct called exchange transfusion may be required. During this invasive procedure, the infant’s blood is replaced with donor blood. Recommendations for exchange transfusions are based on bilirubin level, the grow old of the infant and other risk factors for brain damage.

Exchange transfusion isn’t without risk. Potential complications from the treatment include blood clots, blood make instability, bleeding and changes in blood chemistry, according to the researchers. High bilirubin levels are also risky. They’ve been associated with a serious form of cerebral palsy called kernicterus. In caste to investigate this association, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research examined data from two groups of more than 100000 infants.